Improvement in vent-bungs



-UNrrEE STATES .PATENT @Errea ALOIS J. KLEIN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT lN VENT-BUNGS.

Specitication forming part of Letters Patent No. 180,479, dated Augustl, i876; application filed May 22, 1876.

To all rwhom it may concern Be it known that I, ALoIs JosEr` KLEIN, ofCincinnati, Hamilton county, Ohio, have invent-ed certain new and usefulImprovements in Vent-Bangs, of which the following is a specication Thisinvention relates to that class of de-l vices which are employed foradmitting air to the interior of barrels or others 'vessels containingliquor of any kind on tap' 5 and my improvements comprise an arrangementof devices whereby the bung may be made available, either for kegs to beused in gardens and other popular places of resort where liquor isconsumed very rapidly, or the bung may be fitted to kegs that aresupplied to small saloons, Ste., where the consumption is comparativelylimited.

When applied to kegs furnished to gardens and other large and popularestablishments,

the bung is made to admit air constantly, but

when the bung is tted in kegs for saloons and other places where thebeer or other liquor is drawn ott only at intervals, said bung isconstructed so as toadmit air when the faucet is opened.

In the former case the bung is traversed with an internal bore orchannel, into which channel a plug'or stopper is inserted when the -kegis tirst filled at the brewery, which plug yis either knocked bodily outof the bung, or

else shifted in said channel in such a manner as to admit aircontinuously when the keg is.

is a similar section7 but showing said plug shifted, so as to admit airto the interior of the keg. Figs. 3 and 4 are axial sections, showingthe closed and opened conditions, respectively, of a moditication of theinvention. Fig. 5 is an axial section of another modification. Fig. 6 isa section showing the detachable air-tube applied to the bung; and Fig.7 l

is an enlarged section, showing the air-tube detached from the bung.

When especially adapted for application to kegs or barrels that areintended to be quickly emptied ot' their contents, the bung isconstructed as represented in Figs. l. and 2, and by referring to theseillustrations it will be noticed that the bung A is provided with abore, B, that is circular in its transverse'section. This transversebore B passes completely through the bung; but it is not of an uniformdiameter, being diminished at b, so as to form a seat, C, for thesliding plug, stopper, pin, or cork D, which plug is of cylindricalshape, and adapted to fit snugly within the enlarged portion of saidbore. This sliding plug may be composed of wood, metal, leather,india-rubber, or any other material. Communicating with this horizontalboreB is a longitudinal channel, E, of relatively less diameter thaninlet B.

Said channel may intercept the' transverse bore at any suitable place',and the former `naybe either perfectly vertical or inclined;

end of bore B with which channel E communicates, and as said plug islong enough to cover the inlet of said channel, it is evident that aircannot enter the keg, neither can gas escape therefrom through passageE. The plugD is maintained in position by its snugtit, and also by thegas which passes up through channel E, and presses against a portion ofthe under side of said plug. As soon now as the keg is placed on tap thesliding plug D is driven in with any convenient implement until saidplug strikes against the'seat C. This act uncovers the upper end ofchannel E, and allows air to enter the keg, as'indicated by arrows inFig. 2. By this means air is' kept constantly in contact with the liquorin the keg, which is notan objectionable arrangement when the entirecontents of the keg are drawn off in half an hour or so, as isfrequent-ly done in popular places of resort.

When the keg is returned for refilling, the brewer first knocks out thebung in the usual manner, and then inserts a small rod, wire, or nailinto the diminished portion b, and forces plug D outwardly, until it isrestored to its original position, when the bung is at once ready foruse again. By this means one bung will suffice for use for a greatlength of time, and, in case its plug should accidentally become lost,another one can be tted in the bore B at a very trilling expense.

rIn the modified form of my invention, as represented in Figs. 3 and 4L,the bore B, that contains the sliding` plug D, is disposedlongitudinally of bung A, as is also the channel E, which latter isabout parallel with said bore. This channel E communicates with a shortpassage, F, whose outer end is securely closed with an immovable plug,G. Furthermore, said passage F communicates with the bore B.

The operation of this modification is essentially the same as that ofthe device previously described, with the exception that in the lattercase the plug D is driven downwardly from the seat C when it is desiredto admit air into the keg. (See Fig. 4.)

This arrangement of bore and channel is especially reliable, because thepressure of gas on the lower end of the plug maintains the lattersecurely against seat C, and thus prevents leakage of gas through thesmall bore b.

The simplest modification of the device is seen in Fig. 5, in whichillustration the bung is shown as traversed with a single longitudinalchannel, H, into whose lower end a plug, I, is inserted, said plug`being secured to the bung with a strap, or chain, or other flexiblecoupling, J. When this plug I is dislodged by forcing a wire downthrough the channel H the connection J prevents said plug falling intothe liquor in the keg.

When adapted for application to kegs from which liquor' is drawn only atintervals the bung is arranged to admit air when the faucet is opened,and at no other time. This arrangement is represented in Figs. 6 and 7;and, by referring to these illustrations, it will be noticed that theouter end of bore B has a tube, K, forced -into it, which tube iscomposed of any suitable material. The aforesaid tube is screw-threadedat k, to engage with a short cylinder, L, whose head M is perforated atm, to serve asa seat for any suitable form of valve, N, which latter maybe composed of any appropriate material.

This cylinder is pierced with one or more aperturesl or slots, O, toadmit air through tube K as soon as valve N is withdrawn from its seatIm, as seen in Fig. 7. Furthermore, said cylinder has a female thread,l, tapped in it to'receive the screw-threaded stem 10 of cap P, to whichcap one end of an elastic thong or spring, R, is attached, the other endof said thong being connected to valve or plug N. By properlymanipulating this adjustable cap P p, more or less tension can beimparted to the spring R, so as to regulate the action of valve Y.

The tube K, with its accessories, can be applied with equal facilityeither to the horizontal or vertical bore of the bung after the plug Dhas been forced against the seat C; and in either case said tube acts toautomatically admit air to the keg or other vessel the moment the faucetis opened. This admission of air results from the partial vacuumproduced in the keg by the escape of liquor therefrom, which vacuumdraws valve N away from its seat m. The very moment, however, that thefaucet is closed the pressure of gas within the keg coacts with thetension of closing device R to instantly seat the valve N, and preventany further entrance of a-ir.

The members M and P maybe varied in their construction, or else entirelyomitted, in which case the valve must be applied to the end of tube K,

l claim as my invention- 1. A barrel-bung provided with a channel,within which is fitted a sliding plug that is shifted or dislodged fromsaid channel for the purpose of admitting air to the liquor-receptacleby a force applied externally with reference to said receptacle,substantially as herein described.

2. A barrel-bung provided with bore B b, seat C, sliding plug D, andchannel E, which latter communicates with said bore B, substantially asherein described.

3. The detachable air-tube K and automatically-operating valve N, forapplication to the bore B of a vent-bung, substantially as hereindescribed.

4. The combination of air-tube K k, cylinder L l M m O, valve N,retracting device B, and adjustable cap P p, as and for the purposespecified.

In testimonyof which invention I hereunto set my hand.

ALOIS J. KLEIN.

Witnesses:

J AMES H. LAYMAN, S. F. STURDEVANT.

